Taking Steps
by Goth Albino Angel
Summary: When Kotaro has a bath house installed attached to the dance studio, Lily is apprehensive about getting into the bath with her friends. However, with the others encouraging and supporting her, perhaps with time, she will be able to join them in the tub. Primarily Yugiri/Lily sisterly relationship, with hints of Sakugiri if you squint.
1. The Bath House

**_I don't own Zombieland Saga_**

 ** _Hello, everyone! I am back with another ZLS fic. I know, I'm obsessed. You've seen it in the past with RWBY, and again later with Frozen, and AGAIN later with Disney's Descendants. Pretty easy to know when I'm obsessed, huh? Anyway! This is an idea a friend and I came up with, so we hope you like it!_**

 ** _And if you're wondering: No, this isn't romantic or shippy. It's just Franchouchou being supportive big sisters to Lily. Now, onward!_**

* * *

"That was the best vacation!" Saki cheered.

Franchouchou strode back into the mansion. They had been gone for a few days, sent to a hotel in western Karatsu, near Genkai to relax. Kotaro hadn't given them much information before practically shoving them out the door. None of them were going to complain, though, considering how hard he'd been working them lately.

"It was so nice to visit Genkai," Junko agreed, lifting her suitcase over the threshold. "The Kaijou Hot Springs felt lovely."

"Fortunate we could get a large private bath," Ai said. "I can imagine it wouldn't have gone over well had we stepped out without makeup on."

Murmurs of agreement rose from the others as they made their way into their room. While Yugiri, Junko, and Sakura went about putting everyone's stuff away, Saki and Ai examined the room for any signs of something being tampered with. They did appreciate the vacation, but it was too sudden for something not to have been up. It was rare for Kotaro to do something nice for them without benefit to himself, and the possible reasoning behind this spontaneous getaway put the group on edge.

When Ai and Saki deemed everything normal, everyone relaxed. "Gotta hand it ta Shades," Saki groaned, cracking her neck. "He at least knows what he's doin'. That was one of the best sleeps of my life."

Junko blinked at her, not even bothering. "I have to agree. The sleeping accommodations were very nice. There was plenty of space for all of us."

Suddenly, the door slammed in, making three of the seven idols jump. Their mysterious producer marched in with a proud smile. "Good afternoon, ladies!" he cheered. "Now that your vacation is over, hope you're all ready for some practice!"

"Knew the peace wouldn't last," Saki sighed, leaning back on her arms.

"No time for relaxing!" Kotaro shouted. "We need to make up for all the time you lost on your vacation! GET CHANGED AND HEAD TO PRACTICE! GO! GO! GO!"

Ai and Saki rolled their eyes at his antics and the entire group moved into action. Before he left, though, Kotaro left them with a new piece of information. "And make sure to bathe when you're finished. No more hosing off in the yard."

"Wait, for real?" Saki exclaimed, staring at the shut door. "He's letting us use the bathtub? Bout damn time!"

"That at least makes him barging in a little less offensive," Ai chuckled, slipping into her workout shirt.

Once they were all changed, everyone made their way out to the backyard.

And stopped dead in their tracks.

Sitting in the middle of the backyard, connected to their dance studio, was a smaller building none of them had seen before. It was slightly smaller than the studio and looked to be accessible from the outside as well as an indoor entrance. Bold words over the door read 'Franchouchou Private Bath House'.

"No way," Sakura whispered, dropping her water bottle.

"HE GOT US A BATH HOUSE!" Saki screamed. "If I didn't wanna punch his face in every other hour, I'd totally hug that shady weirdo!"

"Come on!" Ai urged them all. "Let's get to practice! The sooner we finish, the sooner we can check it out!"

While the others raced into the dance studio, ready to begin, Yugiri hung back. She had noticed a shift in the air beside her as soon as they stepped out and now she glanced to the girl beside her. Lily's entire demeanor had slumped with the revelation of their new bathing quarters.

Originally, even though the group hosed off together, all of the other girls kept their backs to Lily and watched for any peeping toms. It was both to ensure Lily's safety and preserve her modesty. However, with the reveal of the new bath house, Yugiri had a hunch Lady Lily would not be nearly as comfortable bathing.

"Lady Lily?" she asked quietly.

"I'm… okay," Lily told her, not looking up from the ground.

Yugiri tapped her chin. "If these bathing facilities are like what I think they are, you won't have to join us in the bath if you're not comfortable. We may invite you in, but you will always have the right to refuse. Alright?"

Worried red eyes lifted to her and Yugiri merely smiled. The tension in Lily's neck eased a bit and she nodded. "I can just shower and go?"

"If that's what you wish," Yugiri told her. "Shall we catch up?"

"Yeah!" With newfound exuberance, Lily bounded off for the dance studio. Yugiri watched her with a smile, happy to have given the girl her confidence back. She knew it was still hard for Lady Lily to show herself around them, but with time, perhaps she would be comfortable bathing with them. Until then, Yugiri would continue reassuring her.

* * *

 ** _And here we go! As I said before, it's just sisterly relationships between everyone, so no need to worry. Hope you stick around!_**

 ** _Remember, sneak peeks and updates are available on my tumblr, gothalbinoangel-fanfiction. Where you can also ask questions. I just opened up commissions, too!_**


	2. Tiny Tub

"Oh, wow!" Junko gasped.

"It's really nice!" Sakura agreed.

Practice had just wrapped up and all of the girls had raced for the bath house, save Lily and Yugiri. While the others stripped in the open changing room, Yugiri had pointed Lily toward the stalls available for privacy. Now, they all stood in their towels, gazing around at their new bathing area.

Most of the room was taken up by the bath, as expected. On one wall was a line of showerheads, seven in total for each of them. Everything was fairly standard. Brown tiling on the floor, red on the walls and bath, and soft lighting overhead. On the opposite side of the showers was another door with a small window.

"What are we waitin' for?" Saki demanded. "Let's shower so we can test out the water! I've been _dyin'_ for a proper bath since Oreshino!"

"Even if you're already dead," Junko sighed, also making her way toward the showers.

Lily hung back, wringing her hands nervously. Yugiri looked from her to the showers, wondering if there was a way to ease her anxiety. Perhaps…

"Lady Lily?" she said softly. "If you'd like, I can hold off on taking my shower so that you can have the nozzle at the end."

"But I don't wanna burden you with that…" Yugiri shook her head with a laugh.

"Nonsense. I offered. Now go on. I'll wait and take one of the others' once they're done."

Lily eyed her for a moment before nodding and making her way to the furthest nozzle. Yugiri took the moment to further examine the room. The bath did look luxurious. She was afraid they would all be showering one at a time. She wasn't too fond of the idea, especially considering how important communal baths were in her time. Her shoulders slumped. Even if she hadn't felt particularly communal using them.

Still, this way, all of them could still bathe together without a problem. Something on the other side of the bath caught her attention and the courtesan moved closer. On the wall opposite the door, it appeared to be a smaller bathtub, likely only capable of holding two people, three at most. She wondered what it could possibly be for. Stealing a glance to Lady Lily, an idea came to mind.

Lily sighed as she finished her shower. She didn't want to have to leave right away, not with the others having fun in the bath already. But she just… didn't want to get in right now.

"Lady Lily?"

The poor girl jumped, whirling around and quickly covering herself. Yugiri kept her gaze carefully away from her friend. "I think I may have a solution to your unease about the bath."

"You do?" Lily didn't want to admit it, but she was pretty relieved. She didn't want to miss the bonding.

"If you're finished with your shower, follow me?"

Yugiri led Lily over to the small bath she'd found and Lily's eyes lit up. "It's a small one just for me!" she cheered.

"I assume Sir Tatsumi was thinking of you when he had it installed," Yugiri told her. "Why don't you get in while I go shower?"

Lily beamed at her. While Yugiri went to shower, Lily made sure none of the others were looking before slipping into the water. It was nice and warm, and she had plenty of leg room. Leaning over the side, she watched the others. Saki and Tae were wrestling in the water while Junko, Sakura, and Ai spoke off to the side. The conversation carried over to her, but she could only make out a little over Saki and Tae's shouting.

Splashing the water about in her own tub, Lily felt a little lonely. She couldn't tell if it would've been better for her to just leave right away. Here, she was with everyone, but still away from them.

"Why so blue?"

Lily started again and instinctively covered herself. Yugiri laughed, wading closer through the large bath. She must have finished her shower quickly to keep Lily company. As she sank into the bath, the older woman leaned against the edge of the bath so she could better talk to Lady Lily.

"I dunno if I should've stayed," Lily sighed. "Everyone is in the big bath and I'm all the way over here…"

"Would you rather return to the house?" Yugiri inquired with a tilt of her head.

"I mean… I'm not lonely anymore, now that I'm actually talking to somebody." Lily gave her usual bright smile.

"Then we can talk whenever we're finished showering," Yugiri suggested. "So long as you can stand waiting an extra minute or two for me."

"It's a deal!" Lily giggled.

* * *

 ** _My friend mentioned that, when they were living in Japan, there was a smaller bathtub, too. I'm using that here. Just to clear any confusion._**

 ** _Remember, sneak peeks and updates are available on my tumblr, gothalbinoangel-fanfiction. Where you can also ask questions. I just opened up commissions, too!_**


	3. Sharing

As the days drew on, Lily slowly began to feel more comfortable in her bathtub. While everyone else splashed and chatted in the big bath, she would be further away for modesty. And Yugiri kept her word the whole time. She didn't use her shower nozzle so that Lily had more privacy, and showered quickly so that Lily didn't get lonely bathing by herself.

Still, it wasn't really the same as bathing with everyone. But Lily didn't think she was ready for the big tub just yet. Maybe, instead of her getting in the big tub…

"Woo!" Saki huffed, stretching and popping her neck. "That was a real workout!"

"The new dance moves are pretty intense," Sakura agreed.

"Feels like Kotaro sped'em up or something," Ai sighed, leading the group toward the bath house. "We'll need to be careful practicing the steps. No need for us to overwork ourselves and lose a limb."

"You would know, wouldn't ya?" Saki snickered.

Ai gave her a wry smile and bumped her side. "It was one time! I've gotten better!"

They all laughed as they made their way to their showers. As usual, Yugiri stood off to the side to wait her turn. Lily looked over to her and bit her lip. She'd never get used to the big bath if she didn't at least try.

Finishing her shower as fast as she could, Lily headed over to her smaller bathtub. Even though she knew the others respected her privacy, she still couldn't help making sure none of them were looking before getting in. Now, all that was left to do was wait.

Yugiri ran the nozzle over her hair. Washing was always a process, but she had promised Lady Lily she wouldn't take too long to shower. Setting the showerhead back in place, she wrung out the excess water from her hair and stood. She made her way to the big tub but stopped when she found Lady Lily motioning to her. Usually, Yugiri stepped in from the opposite end and made her way over so that she didn't take Lady Lily by surprise.

Walking around the big tub, Yugiri came to stop beside Lady Lily's tub and cocked her head. "Is something wrong, Lady Lily?"

"No, nothing's wrong, I just…" Lily trailed off. She wasn't sure how to ask this. She couldn't get into the big bath just yet, but there was plenty of room in her bathtub… "Will you get in with me?"

"Beg your pardon?" Yugiri blinked at her in shock.

"In my tub." Lily motioned to the water around her to clarify. "I don't wanna get in the big one yet, but maybe we can share? Just until I'm more comfortable being… around people."

Yugiri blinked at her again. "Ah, I see." She gave the small girl a reassuring smile. "Very well. I don't see a problem so long as you're okay with it."

Lily's shoulders relaxed in relief and she scooted over in the bath. Yugiri carefully stepped in, keeping her eyes away from Lily until she had fully settled into the bath. It was just big enough for them to sit side-by-side. From this angle, they could both watch their friends have fun in the larger tub.

Yugiri kept herself perfectly poised the entire time. She kept a few inches of space between herself and Lady Lily so that she didn't accidentally brush up against the small girl and startle her. And she meticulously looked a little higher than Lady Lily's eyes when they spoke so that her friend wasn't uncomfortable with her gaze.

Lily appreciated the effort Yugiri was going through to help her. It felt a little weird, being in the tub with someone else. But if she was going to make it to the big one, she needed to start somewhere.

She cracked her neck and Yugiri looked down at her. "Are you alright?" the courtesan inquired.

"Yeah," Lily sighed. "The others weren't kidding. Those new dance moves are really hard."

"I'm sure if you asked, Lady Saki wouldn't mind giving your neck a massage once we're finished bathing." Yugiri glanced over to where Lady Saki and Lady Tae were once again wrestling. "She seems like she would know a thing or two about muscle strain."

Lily frowned. "I… think I'll ask Ai instead. Saki might kill me. Again."

Yugiri chuckled at that. "True, she is quite the aggressive type. Lady Ai it is."

"Hey, you two!"

Lily instantly stiffened, covering herself as Sakura made her way closer. Sakura noticed the move and carefully kept her gaze at Lily's face. "What's up?" she asked.

"We were just discussing the new moves for our performance," Yugiri informed her calmly. "We were wondering if Lady Ai wouldn't mind giving Lady Lily a massage once our bath is finished."

"A massage would be great," Sakura sighed. She smiled over at Lily. "I'm sure Ai wouldn't mind if you asked her. She probably understands the strain of dancing more than the rest of us. Except maybe Junko."

"Yeah," Lily replied. Some of her tension dissipated as the conversation turned to the different kind of dances Iron Frill used to do. She hadn't been expecting someone else to come over so quickly, but Sakura was polite about her privacy. She kept her eyes above the water and made sure not to look too directly in Lily's direction just yet.

As the bath drew to a close, Sakura made her way back to the others. Yugiri watched her carefully, noting the way her body relaxed as she rejoined Lady Ai and Lady Junko. Likely, Lady Sakura returned to the rest of the group so that there were less people around when Lady Lily climbed out. Clever move.

"Shall we head out then?" Yugiri asked Lily.

"U-uh, yeah." Lily took a deep breath. She could do this. It was no big deal.

Taking the initiative, Yugiri stood first, grabbing up both of their towels. With her back turned, Lily was able to climb out without being too self-conscious. Yugiri handed Lily's towel back to her and wrapped her own around her body.

As the group made their way back to the house, Lily tugged Yugiri's hand. The courtesan stopped and glanced to her.

"Thanks," Lily mumbled, not quite looking up. "For, you know, not laughing at me or anything."

Yugiri blinked down at her. "Lady Lily, there's no need to thank me. As I said before, you do what you are most comfortable with. We are your friends; we won't laugh at you."

Lily nodded and they continued on their way. As she snuggled into her sleeping hoodie and settled in for bed, Lily thought about how her bath had gone that day. It hadn't been a complete nightmare. Yugiri and Sakura were both really nice about her modesty, and the conversation never once went to her going into the big bath. Eventually, she'd make it in there, but right now, she liked how things were going.

* * *

 ** _Small steps slowly turn to bigger steps until you finally reach your goal, whatever that goal may be._**

 ** _Remember, sneak peeks and updates are available on my tumblr, gothalbinoangel-fanfiction. Where you can also ask questions. I just opened up commissions, too!_**


	4. Smaller Step

Lily slowly began to feel more comfortable around her friends. It wasn't so bad, having Yugiri in the tub with her. Sakura would come over to talk to them midway through the bath, and would leave to ensure Lily's privacy as the others were getting out of the big tub. Yugiri kept her back to Lily and always got out first so that Lily wasn't embarrassed getting out of the tub.

It all worked to help Lily's confidence and she felt that she might be ready for the big tub. Setting her jaw, the youngest of the group made her way toward the larger bathtub. The others were in there, chatting and roughhousing as usual. Yugiri was already under the shower nozzle. All Lily had to do was get into the tub.

Unfortunately, the more she looked at it, the more her heart constricted in her chest. The water stared back at her, waiting for her to make a move. Lily's legs wobbled as she made to step inside. Her heart popped.

Sakura glanced over just in time to catch Lily as the poor girl fell backward. Ai kept the others back as Sakura stepped from the tub. Gently, she set Lily back on her feet and urged her to take deep breaths. Lily wiped her eyes and did as Sakura instructed.

"Are you okay now?" Sakura asked quietly.

"Y-yeah," Lily sniffed.

"You shouldn't push yourself too hard," Sakura told her, guiding her toward the smaller tub. "If you start feeling like it's too much, just call one of us over."

"But I wanna make it to the big tub," Lily whimpered. "I'm not a little kid."

Sakura helped her slip into the small tub with a sigh. "It's not about you being a little kid, Lily. We all want you to get in the big tub with us, too. But we want you to do it at your own pace. Maybe getting all the way in was too much this first time. We can try some big steps before we take that one, okay?"

Lily pushed the water around in her tub and pouted. "Okay. I just… wanted to do it this time."

"We'll be here for you when you're ready," Sakura told her. "As long as it takes, right?"

"Right."

As Sakura made her way over to reassure the others, Yugiri stepped over to the tub. Lily scooted over to make room for her. As Yugiri slipped into the water, she smiled at Lily.

"First try didn't go so well?" she asked.

"I almost fainted," Lily deadpanned.

"Shall we continue small steps then?"

Lily didn't respond. She jumped slightly at a hand on her shoulder and looked up. Yugiri gave her a gentle smile. "It's alright for you not to be ready yet. We're all here to support you."

"Yeah." For the rest of the bath, they turned the subject to mundane things, like Kotaro's outrageous behavior.

So Lily's first attempt didn't go well. That was okay. There were other ways she could get herself ready for the big tub. She knew the others would be supportive of whatever she tried, so all she had to do was think of more things.

After some time thinking it over, she realized there was something she could do that might help her.

As the group made their way to the bath house after practice, Lily kept close to Yugiri. This was a good next step, right? If not, she could figure out a way to ease herself into it. But for now, this would be a solid next step.

"Yugi?"

Yugiri glanced down at Lady Lily. She had expected the small girl to head to the showers with everyone else. "Yes, Lady Lily?"

"U-um…" Lily took a deep breath. If she couldn't do this, it would be fine. If she could, it wouldn't be the end of the world. She just kept telling herself that. "If you want, you can shower with the rest of us."

"Are you sure?" Yugiri searched her friend's face. It was clear Lady Lily was nervous even asking her. Yugiri just didn't want to send her into another panic like the day before.

"Yeah." Lily swallowed and straightened her shoulders. "Yeah, I think I can do it."

Yugiri nodded and slowly followed Lily over to the showers. However, Lily froze up as soon as they got over there. Thinking quickly, Yugiri knelt beside her. "Would it be better if I started showering before you?" she asked.

"Yeah," Lily squeaked. It always seemed to be better when the others were already immersed in whatever they were doing.

"Very well." Yugiri stood and turned on her own shower, sitting on the stool provided. Once she was submerged, she smiled at Lady Lily.

With a deep breath, Lily let her towel fall and switched her shower on. She stole a glance to Yugiri, only to find her focused on her own shower. Lily sat on her stool and went about cleaning herself. Her shoulders remained tense through the whole thing, but after a while, the rest of her started to relax. It wasn't… all that bad, showering next to someone. Just like inviting Yugiri into the bath, it would take some getting used to, though.

Once she finished her shower, Lily made her way over to her tub. This time, Yugiri accompanied her. The older woman still allowed Lily to get in first and waited until she was fully submerged before getting in, too.

For a big step, Lily would have to say this was a success.

* * *

 ** _Like I said, small steps lead to bigger ones. One step at a time._**

 ** _Remember, sneak peeks and updates are available on my tumblr, gothalbinoangel-fanfiction. Where you can also ask questions. I just opened up commissions, too!_**


	5. Baby Step

"I am going to _kill him!_ " Saki snarled.

"Why did we have to compete in those horrid games again!" Junko wailed.

"For his sick pleasure, probably…" Ai grumbled.

"At least we all did better this time around," Sakura pointed out. "Yugiri even got second place this time."

"And Tae didn't fall apart!" Lily added, with a groan of happiness from Tae.

They'd all just arrived back from the Gatalympics for the second year in a row. This time, there didn't seem to be a clear reason why they were even competing, but Kotaro had insisted. Just like the year before, all of them had ended up covered head to toe in mud.

"Still," Saki grumbled as they made their way into the changing area. "When I next see him, I'm gonna knock those fuckin' shades right off his face."

Lily didn't even bother changing in the private stall this time, peeling her clothes off slightly further away from the others. None of them grabbed towels, not wanting to soil the material. Lily stayed behind everyone else so that she didn't have to worry about them seeing her. As everyone settled at their showerheads, Ai and Saki continued tossing out threats to Kotaro while Sakura reassured Junko that their image could only get better by competing in Saga events.

Yugiri looked over to Lady Lily and an idea struck her. Proceeding carefully, she asked, "Lady Lily, may I wash your hair?"

Lily blinked up at her through the water running into her eyes. Yugiri's hair was already spotless. She always paid special attention to it, so it made sense it would be the first thing she washed. "Sure," Lily agreed. She turned away from Yugiri so that her friend had better access.

Yugiri was happy that her offer hadn't been denied. She wasn't sure how it would be taken, but it seemed, with all the mud and dirt, Lady Lily wasn't quite as opposed. Perhaps it was because, this way, they were all more or less in the same state.

Grabbing up the shampoo, Yugiri rubbed her hands together and set about her task. The others were already on their way into the bath, still a little upset about the spontaneous entry. Lily slowly relaxed back into Yugiri's hands. It was nice having someone else wash her hair. Her mom used to do it for her when she was younger.

Once finished, Yugiri pulled back. "I'm done," she said, so Lady Lily was aware. She then turned back to her own shower nozzle, intent on getting the rest of the mud from her body. Personally, she could do without all of the grime, but the games themselves were still highly entertaining.

Lily watched her friend for a moment, lost in thought. It didn't feel uncomfortable when Yugiri was washing her hair. Was that because Lily wasn't facing her? That could have been part of it. She would have to test it.

"Yugi?" she asked. Yugiri paused and carefully turned to her. "Would you be okay washing my hair again tomorrow?"

"I wouldn't mind at all," Yugiri told her with a smile.

Lily grinned back and they continued their showers. It hadn't been a big step, but it was still progress anyway. Lily was sure that if she kept going like this, she'd make it to the big tub in no time.

* * *

 ** _Okay, this was partially to satisfy me. I just wanted Yugiri to offer to wash Lily's hair like a big sis or mom would. And it's totally something the group would do. Sakura would help Saki, Ai and Junko would do Tae's hair together, and Yugiri would wash Lily's for her._**

 ** _Remember, sneak peeks and updates are available on my tumblr, gothalbinoangel-fanfiction. Where you can also ask questions. I just opened up commissions, too!_**


	6. Progress

"Are you sure, Lady Lily?"

"Yeah!" Lily replied. "I'm already clean, so it's not like there's any harm done. If anything happens, I'll just head back to my tub."

Yugiri and Lady Sakura shared a look. "Very well," Yugiri agreed. She stepped from the small tub and into the larger one. She and Lady Sakura both averted their gaze as Lady Lily stepped out.

Lily grabbed her towel and chirped, "Okay, I'm ready!"

Both of her friends hesitantly looked to her to find her towel sufficiently covering her. Lily walked around the side of the tub and sat on the edge. Sakura and Yugiri waded over as well, and sat down in the water. Cautiously, Lily dipped her feet in. Her body froze up for a moment, but after a little while, she relaxed. She wasn't getting all the way in. This would be fine.

To try easing the tension, Ai and Junko joined them. "I wanted to talk about some of the steps for Flag," Ai said conversationally. "Specifically the ending steps."

"Is something wrong with them?" Sakura asked.

"Not necessarily," Ai told her. "I like them a lot. It's a great way to end our shows. It's just that, if we change them sometimes, it might give our show endings a little more variety."

"I think they're pretty cute as they are," Lily murmured.

Ai chuckled. "We can still keep it cute, Lily. I'm just saying, shouldn't we have varying levels of cute?"

Lily pouted at her and Junko and Sakura laughed. "Well, I'm sure if we went over some of the moves and tried a few new things out, we might find something that'll stick," Junko pointed out. "And changing them up every now and then will keep interest."

The conversation continued on that way. All of the older girls kept it as mundane as possible so that attention wasn't drawn to Lily. Saki and Tae threw in their opinions whenever there was a break between them trying to dunk each other under. For only having dipped her feet in, Lily was feeling a lot better being over here and included than just talking over in her bathtub.

"We should head in," Ai sighed, covering a yawn. "I've no doubt he's probably going to wake us up early again. The last thing we need is him berating us for 'being lazy'."

"Even though we don't need sleep, it is still nice to get some rest," Junko murmured, standing. Lily stood along with them and waited for everyone to grab their towels before they all made their way back to the house.

As everyone else settled in for bed, Lily pretended to be asleep. She listened to her friends' breaths even out and slowly sat up. It looked like all of them were out. Okay. Slipping from her blankets as quietly as she could, Lily crept out of the room. In her absence, she missed Junko, Sakura, and Yugiri all lifting their heads.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Sakura asked.

"She is already dead," Junko pointed out. "So, it's not like she can drown or anything."

Yugiri gave a soft chuckle. "Honestly, I can't tell who's more afraid of her getting into the big tub, her for fear of us judging her, or us for fear of making her uncomfortable."

"I guess we have been going a little far," Sakura sighed. "I just… don't want her feeling like we're forcing her to go faster. She deserves to do things at her own pace without feeling rushed."

"Well then," Junko said. "I think this is something she should do alone. We'll wait for her to return. If she doesn't by sunrise, we'll go make sure she's alright."

"Sounds good," Sakura agreed, Yugiri nodding as well.

Meanwhile, Lily slipped out to the bath house. Even though she had already showered earlier, she still thought it would be good to do it again, just in case. As she showered, she thought over how she was going to do this. The big bathtub was empty now, so it shouldn't be a big deal. The problem was what it represented. If she could get in while alone, then that would be a big step toward getting in with everyone else.

Lily took a deep breath and turned off her shower. She could do this. It was just her and the bathtub. There was no one else around and this was an enclosed space. Taking measured breaths, she approached the bath. She started by dipping her feet in like she did earlier. That helped ease the tension a little. Okay, more of her legs.

Bit by bit, Lily slid into the bathtub, keeping her breathing even the whole time. She thought of how fun it was to talk to the others earlier. She thought of how nice it was to sit in the bath next to Yugiri and talk to Sakura. She focused on these until she was finally submerged in the bath water.

After a while, she relaxed against the wall of the tub. It wasn't so bad, at least while she was alone. The bath did feel a little lonely without the sounds of Saki and Tae playing around. But if she did this every night, eventually, she might be able to do it with the others around.

Lily nodded to herself and climbed from the tub. With a system in place, it would be easier to get used to the big bath. She'd be able to be with her friends in no time!

* * *

 ** _We're almost at the end of this trip, everyone! Thank you for accompanying me on this journey. See you soon for the last chapter!_**

 ** _Remember, sneak peeks and updates are available on my tumblr, gothalbinoangel-fanfiction. Where you can also ask questions. I just opened up commissions, too!_**


	7. One of the Group

"Damn, that was awesome!" Saki cheered, pumping a fist in the air.

"The crowd seemed to love it!" Junko agreed with a beaming smile.

"And the weather was perfect for an outdoor show for once," Ai added in as they headed for the bath.

They'd just finished up a show in Takeo to the roaring cheers of their fans. Back home after a long van ride, they were all itching for a shower. Keeping the makeup on for so long didn't really bother them, but there was nothing like being in your own skin, no matter how decayed it was.

"The T-shirt signing went pretty well for a first time," Sakura said as everyone stripped down. "Everyone was really respectful of the rules."

"Damn right they were," Saki snickered. "If any of'em broke the rules, I'm sure Squirt's dad woulda put'em right in their place."

Mister Go had traveled all the way to see them. Thankfully, he was off work that day anyway. Lily grinned just thinking about her dad tossing some lousy rulebreaker out of the concert area.

"Yeah," she giggled. "He can be pretty strict when he wants to be."

"I can imagine," Yugiri laughed. "He seems more the relaxed type, but considering you remind him so much of, well, you, I would not fault him for reprimanding someone who made you unhappy."

The others laughed as they all headed in to shower. As usual, Yugiri began her shower first and Lily slipped onto her stool beside her. Everyone chatted about the show, the things that went well and some of the things they could improve on.

Midway through her shower, Lily pulled her head from under the water and turned her back to Yugiri. That was the courtesan's cue that it was okay to wash her hair. Lathering her hands, Yugiri went about her task just the same as she usually did.

"I think your star was very useful today," she said conversationally. "It drew the sunlight and helped us all shine brighter."

"You think so?" Lily asked.

"Yes. And it's fitting, too, as you _are_ one of the stars of the show."

Lily gasped. "Maybe we should get everyone stars!"

Yugiri laughed as she took Lady Lily's showerhead to rinse the shampoo. "But then how would the fans know which one shines brightest? I think the star draws attention to you just fine."

Lily hummed in thought as Yugiri massaged the conditioner in. "Yeah, you're right. The others will just have to depend on me to keep being the shining star, huh?"

They dissolved into laughter as Yugiri finished, rinsing Lily's hair before turning back to her own shower. Once the two of them finished washing, they grabbed their towels and made their way over to the bath.

Lily's steps were slower than usual. She'd made up her mind. This time, she was getting in. She'd never be able to do it if she just kept doing it alone at night. The bath was about bonding with the others, but sitting on the edge still made her feel 'apart' from them. This time, she'd get all the way in no matter what. She could do it.

Yugiri noticed the air shift and wondered if her friend would be okay. Ever since the first time Lady Lily had gone out by herself at night, Yugiri and Lady Sakura had tried to be less restrictive in their behavior and more supportive of her efforts. Both still feared making her uncomfortable, but they wouldn't let their own fears get in the way of Lady Lily's progress. If things didn't go well this time, Yugiri would be right beside her to steady her.

As they approached the bath, Yugiri stepped in first. She felt her reflexes were swift enough that she would catch Lady Lily if she started to fall. And Lady Sakura was nearby as well, having taken a little longer with her shower. Lady Ai and Lady Junko had lowered their voices as well, so Yugiri knew they would be ready to help if necessary. All of them were hoping for the best, but knew to prepare for the worst just in case.

Lily took a deep breath and gently dipped her feet into the tub like usual. This time, though, she pulled together her memories of being in the bath alone to help her. With shaky hands, she let her towel drop to the side of the tub and slipped all the way into the water.

Her body immediately tensed.

The room went quiet, even Saki and Tae had paused in their roughhousing, waiting for the verdict. Lily took a few more deep breaths and gently relaxed back against the wall of the tub. It was clear she was still tense, but she didn't seem to be spiraling into a panic, so that was a good sign.

Saki and Tae grinned and went back to their game while the others also relaxed now that the worst part was over. Yugiri moved closer slowly until she was a few inches from Lady Lily, a little further than they had been in her small tub. Lily smiled up at her and the older woman returned it.

"Great job, Lily," Sakura said softly, walking up. "We're proud of you."

Lily moved the water about with her hands. "It'll still take a little while before I'm used to getting in with everyone here, but… I'm glad I can finally join everyone."

"We're glad, too," Ai said, she and Junko wading closer. All of them kept reasonable distance as they settled in a circle together. "Now, we can get more input from you about the dances. Junko has some problems with Atsukunare, but I think the moves are too fast to change."

"I think so, too," Lily said. "Remember how long it took us to learn them?"

"And we were still messing up a little at Saga Rock," Sakura agreed. "I don't think changing them would be a good idea."

"You all gang up on me now that Lily's here," Junko pouted, making a mock angry face at them. "It was only a suggestion."

They all laughed and Yugiri relaxed back against the bath wall. Lady Lily seemed to be relaxing a bit more as well. She didn't cover herself whenever someone drew nearer, and she didn't seem as tense now that she was part of the conversation. Making it into the big tub really had been something she'd wanted to do, and it showed in how happy she was now.

A large splash of water cut off Yugiri's thoughts and she looked over to find that the spray had hit Lady Lily and Lady Sakura while Lady Ai and Lady Junko had been unfortunate enough to be submerged in it. Yugiri blinked and turned her gaze to where Lady Saki and Lady Tae were still going about their games.

"Hey!" Lily huffed, sending a splash in their direction, still getting Junko caught in the crossfire. "Watch it! We're trying to have a conversation over here!"

"Oh yeah?" Saki sneered. "Sounds to me like you can't handle a little water!" She splashed at Lily for emphasis. Once again, the water skipped over Yugiri, but Junko was smart enough to have moved by this point.

Lily puffed her cheeks out in a pout and waded closer so she had a better chance of splashing Saki. Yugiri watched her go carefully, but Lady Lily didn't seem bothered by the movement. It likely had to do with her not having to fully stand in order to get to Lady Saki. Yugiri relaxed back and watched the two engage in a splash war. Lady Tae joined Lady Lily's side, leaving Lady Saki at a disadvantage.

"I think someone's enjoying her first day in the big tub," Sakura chuckled, settling beside Yugiri.

"I would say so," Yugiri agreed. "I truly am proud of how far she's come."

"We're dead," Sakura pointed out, bumping her shoulder against her friend's. "If there's one thing I've learned, it's that there's nowhere else to go but up. That applies to Lily, too."

"Indeed."

Yugiri leaned to the side as another spray came their way, laughing at the disgruntled expression Lady Sakura gave the playing trio. "I think I'm starting to regret it already," the pink-haired woman muttered.

"Only up, remember?" Yugiri laughed.

Her laughter only increased when Sakura tackled her into the water as retaliation for letting her get splashed.

* * *

 ** _And there ya go! Thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed the ride!_**

 ** _Remember, sneak peeks and updates are available on my tumblr, gothalbinoangel-fanfiction. Where you can also ask questions. I just opened up commissions, too!_**


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